School of Anesthesia

School of Anesthesia

The Mayo Clinic Health System – Franciscan Healthcare School of Anesthesia, the University of Wisconsin- La Crosse (UW-L) Biology Department, and the Viterbo University School of Nursing have partnered to develop a program to meet the specific needs of the nurse anesthetist student during their doctoral education.

The School of Anesthesia (SOA) operates within the Mayo Clinic Health System – Franciscan Healthcare campus in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Students are taught in a didactic and clinical setting over 36 months of consecutive study.

Upon successful completion of the program, students will have earned:

A Master’s of Science in Biology from UW-L (33 credits)

A Certificate of Completion from the School of Anesthesia (26 credits)

A Doctor of Nursing Practice from Viterbo University (22 credits)

The Doctor of Nursing practice and clinical credits from the School of Anesthesia are required to sit for the national board certification exam to be licensed as a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA).

The School of Anesthesia is accredited by the Council on Accreditation (COA) of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs, a specialized accrediting body recognized by the Council on Higher Education Accreditation and the U.S. Department of Education.

COA standards and guidelines for educational programs may be found on their website.

The program's next scheduled accreditation onsite visit by the Council on Accreditation will be in the Fall of 2025.

Program Statistics

Matriculation rates, success rates for first-time takers on the Certification Exam and employment rates are listed below and are published on the UW-L, School of Anesthesia, and Viterbo University websites. These program statistics are reflective of the Masters Science in Biology Nurse Anesthesia Concentration.

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

Number of Graduates

10

10

10

10

9

Matriculation Rate (%)

100

100

100

100

100

Certification Pass Rate (%) - first time takers

100

90

100

80

89

Employment Rate (%) within six months of graduation

100

100

100

100

100

For more program information, please contact:
Jessica Peterson, C.R.N.A.
Program Director
Franciscan Healthcare School of Anesthesia
700 West Avenue South
La Crosse, Wisconsin 54601
608-785-0940